Combined starting and ignition apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



I K. DELANO.

COMBINED STARTING AND IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.9. I9Ifi- 1,263,868. Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

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J K. DELANO.

COMBINED STARTING AND IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.9. I916.

1,263,868. Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

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I K. DELANO.

COMBINED STARTING AND IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION man 020. 9. 1916.

41,263,868. Patented Apr. 23,1918.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

wmm 8mm J K. DELANO.

COMBINED STARTING AND IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9- I916.

Patented APIT'. 23, 1918.

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US FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

, 916. 1,263,868. Patented Apr. 23,1918.

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JAMES K. DELANO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED STARTING AND IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-SOMIBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

Original application filed December 20, 1912, Serial No. 737,815. Divided and. this application filed December 9, 1916. Serial No. 136,116.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JAMES K. DELANo, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Starting and Ignition Apparatus for Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to combined starting and ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines; and it comprises a dynamoelectric machine adapted to drive or to be driven by the shaft of an internal combustion engine through changeable speed-ratio reduction gearing, in combination with current distributing and interrupting mechanism adapted to furnish ignition current for the engine, this mechanism being mounted upon the electric machine or the housing thereof in such manner 'as to form there-. with a compact structural unit, said mechanism, moreover, being geared to the armature shaft of the electric machine but in such manner that the speed at which said mechanism is driven always bears a fixed ratio to the speed of the engine shaft. The

dynamoelectric machine, known as a dynamo motor or motorgenerator, is arranged to take current from a storage battery when operating as a motor to start or crank the internal combustion engine; andto charge such battery when being driven as a generator by the engine after the latter has picked up-and has attained normal running speed.

In'using a dynamo motor to start an internal combustion engine and also to char e astorage battery, it is desirable with certam types of dynamo motors that the gearing between the armature shaft and the engine shaft be of such character that the speed ratio between said shafts difl'ers according as one or the other shaft is driving. Thus when the dynamoelectric machine runs as a motor in starting the engine from rest, it should exercise a large driving leverage on the engine shaft, and under these conditions the armature shaft should rotate at very much higher speed than the engine shaft. This permits the use of a comparatively small electric machine. But when the engine has speeded up and is operating under its own power, the electric machine, now operating as a generator, would be driven by the engine at undesirably high speeds, under the conditions and with the type of system here assumed, if the same speed ratio were maintained. Consequently, in a system of this character, the connecting gear train should be designed to automatically alter the gear ratio according to which shaft is driving. On the other hand it is very desirable for several reasons to combine, with the dynamo motor and the speed reduction gearing, a current distributer and interrupter geared to the armature shaft, the whole forming a compact structural unit which has but a single simple driving connection to the engine, and which can also be readily connected to the battery and to the engine spark plugs. It is evident, however, that for proper operation of the ignition system, the distributor and interrupter must always be driven at a speed bearing a fixed ratio to the 1 speed of the engine shaft.

To provide combined apparatus of the character and mode of operation briefl de scribed above is a principal object of the present invention. For the sake of a concrete example, an apparatus embodying the principles of the invention is hereinafter described in detail, said apparatus being also disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 737,815, filed December 20, 1912, of which the present application is a division. The apparatus here chosen for purposes of illustration involves a specific form of speed reduction gearing claimed in my prior application aforesaid. It is to be understood,

speed reduction gearing and clutch mechanism by means of which the dynamo motor shaft is operatively connected with the engine haft;

Fig.4 is a view representing a vertical section through Fig. 3 in a plane indicated by the line XX and looked at in the direction indicated by the arrows 44;

Fig. 5 is a view representing the same vertical section but looked at in the direction of the arrows 5--5; I

Fig. 6 is a View representing a vertical section through Fig. 3 in a plane indicated by the line 66 thereof;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail end elevations to be referred to more particularly later.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, 10 indicates a gasolene engine (see Fig. 1) of any familiar type used in driving automobiles. 11 indicates dynamo-electric means, in this instance a dynamo motor, which is adapted, when supplied with current, to run as a motor to start the engine shaft and, after the engine shaft is running under its own power at the necessary speed, to run as a dynamo and supply electric current for the ignition when starting and running the engine. Said dynamo motor is mounted on the crank case of the engine adjacent the engine cylinders 11". 12 indicates a storage battery which may be mounted in any convenient place on the automobile frame and is shown-mountedon the running board 12 of the automobile adjacent to the drivers seat.

The electrical circuit connections involved in the system are disclosed in detail in my copending application aforesaid and also in application Serial No. 137,180, filed December 15, 1916. As such details are not necessary to an understanding of the invention herein laimed, they are not included in the present description, although they are indicated in a general way in Fig. 1,- where 14 is a double switch adapted to be 0 erated through links 15, 16 and a rocking be 1 crank lever 17 by means of a pedal 18 projecting upwardly from the floor of the automobile. Said switch in its normal position, in which it is held by means of a coiled spring 14", connects the batte units (in this instance four 6 volt units) 1n multiple. This is the position of the switch when the dynamo motor i running asa dynamo. \Vhen the pedal 18 is pressed, the switch connects said attery units in series, thereby producing a high voltage to provide the torque necessary to start the engine shaft with the use of a small motor.

The dynamo motor shaft operates,through a speed reduction connection. presently to be described, a. shaft 19 (see Figs. 1 and 2), which is connected by a suitable coupling 20 to a shaft 21, said shaft in turn being connected by gearing inclosed in a casing 22 to 1.2es,sea

the crank-shaft 23 of the engine: Thus, when the dynamo motor is operating as a motor it acts to drive the engine crank shaft.

The speed reduction connection by means of which the dynamo shaft is operatively connected to the shaft 19 above referred to is constructed as follows :-24 indicates the shaft of the dynamo 11 (see Fi 2) which is of familiar construction. Sai dynamo is inclosed in a suitable casing 25 in the end walls of which the shaft 24 i rotatively mounted by mean of suitable ball bearings 24, 24 The dynamo shaft 24 is prolonged forwardly beyond the dynamo casing, where it has mounted upon it a speed reduction gearing, indicated as a whole by the numeral 26, and comprising the following: On the shaft 24 adjacent to the end of the dynamo casing is rotatively mounted a disk 27 provided on its periphery with a forwardly projecting, annular flange 28 in the outer surface of which are formed ratchet teeth, the same thus constituting a ratchet gear 29. The disk 27 is recessed on its face adjacent the dynamo casing to receive a ball race 30 to provide an antifriction bearing for the ratchet gear disk on the shaft 24. Next adjacent to the front face of the disk 27 and within its flange 28 there is mounted loosely on the shaft 24 a floating eccentric plate 31 (see Figs. 3 and 4) provided with diametrically opposite, radially extending notches 32, 32. \Vithin said notches engage pins 33, 33, projecting forwardly from the face of the disk 27, said pins as shown being secured in suitable recesses or apertures in said disk. The pins are preferably provided with antifriction sleeves 33 which have direct bearing engagement with the sides of the notches 32.

()n the shaft 24 adjacent to the front face of the floating eccentric plate 31 there is keyed (see Fig. 5) a cylindric sleeve 34, having its central axis placed eccentrically with respect to the central axis of the shaft. A large gear 35 having external teeth 36 is rotatively mounted on .said sleeve, an antifriction roller cage 36 being preferably interposed between said gear and the eccentric sleeve 34. 37, 37 indicate pins extending rearwardly from the rear face of the gear 3 and engaging in diametrically opposite, radially extending notches 38, 38 formed in the floating plate 31 intermediate the other notches 32, 32 therein, and as shown, at angular distance therefrom of 90 degrees. As in the case of the other pins, sleeves 38 are preferably placed on said pins to provide antifriction bearing between said pins and the sides of said notches. It is apparent that any rotative movement of the gear 35 will be communicated by the pins 37 to the floating plate 31 and thence throu h the pins 33 to the ratchet gear 29, while t e said gear 35 may be moved radially in its plane by the eccentric sleeve on which it is mounted without effect on said ratchet gear, by reason of the radial play of said ins 1n their respective notches and of the oating movement of said floating plate.

At the forward end of the eccentric sleeve 34there is fixed thereon an annular flange 40 (see Fig. 6) which carries a plurality of spring controlled pawls 43. Said pawls, as shown, are formed by radially arranged pins set in radial recesses 41 in the peripheral edge of the flange 40, there being, as shown, four of such recesses spaced apart at distances of 90 degrees. 43 indicates coiled spring interposed between the inner ends of the pins 42 and the bottoms of said recesses.

A fiat ring 44 surrounds the flange 40 of the eccentric sleeve. Said ring has a plurality of ratchet teeth 45 on its inner circumference adapted for engagement by the spring controlled pawls 42.

46 indicates an internal gear rigidly attached upon the outer circumference of the flat ring 44, said ring and gear being nonrotatively connected together, as shown, by means of dowel pins 47. Said internal gear is formed on an annular band 46, which projects forwardly and rearwardly' beyond the plane of the ring 44, the rearward pro ection constituting the internal gear proper and having gear teeth out on its inner periphery. Said gear part of the band is of reduced diameter and fits loosely within the flange of the disk 27 on which the ratchet gear 29 is formed. The internal gear 46 is of larger diameter than the external gear 35 with which it is engaged and the construction is such that as the eccentricsleeve 34 is rotated by the dynamo motor shaft 24, it will,

cause the external gear 35 to roll upon the internal gear 46, and, as said external gear, being of smaller diameter, has a less number .of teeth than the internal gear 46, this rolling of the gear 36 about within the gear 46 will produce a relative rotative movement between the said external ear and the internal gear in opposite directions. Thus, if the shaft 24 rotates counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 5, indicated by the arrow 25 therein, the external gear 35 will be or tend to be rolled in the same direction (indicated by the arrow 50) and will be caused to rotate in the opposite direction, or clockwise (as indicated by the arrow 49) with reference to the internal gear 46. Should the external gear be held against rotation the rotative movement will be imparted to the internal gear in the direction of the arrow 49 (Fig. 5), and this rotation of the internal gear will be at a speed greatly less than that of the shaft 24, 'as is readily apparent, the reduction depending upon the difference between thenumber of teeth on the internal gear and the number of teeth on the external 05 gear.

The internal gear is connected to the hereinbefore mentioned shaft 19, that is geared to the engine shaft, by means of an overload slip clutch (see Fig. 3) indicated as a whole by the numeral 51. Said clutch includes a forwardly tapered member 52 fixed to the shaft 19 and rotatively mounted on the end of the dynamo motor shaft 24. The rear face of said member is recessed to receive the end of the shaft 24 and a ball cage 52" is interposed in said recess to provide an antifriction bearing between the two parts. The other member of the clutch consists ofa ring 54 tapered on its inner circumference to correspond with the taper of the first named clutch member, and held in yielding frictional engagement therewith by means of a Hat ring 57 attached to the outer end of the band 46 on which. the internal ear is formed, coiled springs 56 interpose to act longitudinally between the clutch ring 54 and the said flat ring 57. As shown, the rear face of the clutch ring is provided with a plurality of cylindric recesses 56 in which the coiled-springs 56 are placed and the flat ring 57 is attached to the band 46 by means of screws 58. A washer 53 is interposed between the engaging surfaces of the clutch members.

It is apparent that the friction between the two clutch members is dependent upon the springs 56 which thus determine the rotative force that may be transmitted from one clutch member to the other.

Two spring controlled pawls 60 (see Figs. 2 and 8) are mounted on the end wall of the dynamo casing in position for engagement with the ratchet gear 29, said pawls being normally held out of engagement by springs 60*, but being adapted to be brought into engagement by the action of an electromagnet 61 energized by the storage battery and opposing said springs, when the current is directed into the dynamo motor to start the engine. Said pawls lock the ratchet gear 29 against movement and as this, as has been described, locks the external gear 35 against rotative movement while still permitting the movement of said gear radially under the rotative movement of the eccentric sleeve 34 on which it 'is mounted, the relative movement between said external gear 35 and the internal gear 46 imparts a positive rotative movement to said internal gear in the direction opposite to that in which the gear 35 tends to turn, namely in the same direction as the dynamo motor shaft, as indicated by the arrow 49, in Fig. 5. This movementis likewise communicated to the flat ratchet ring 44 which is rigid with the internal gear 46. The dynamo motor shaft 24, I0- tating at a higher speed, rotates the pawl carrying flange 40 on the end of the eccen-.

tric sleeve 34 in the same direction and the 'and rotates the eccentric sleeve 34 and with it the shaft 24, thus operating the dynamo electric machine as a dynamo, the magnet 61 having been in the meantime denergized so as to permit the pawls 60 under the action of the springs 60 to be raised so as to release the ratchet 29 which is now free to rotate idly.

The overload slip clutch interposed between the internal gear and the shaft 19 is important, since it limits the force that may be transmitted, thereby preventing the possibility of stripping the gear teeth or springing the parts in case of pro-ignition and back firing and the resultant reversed movement of the shaft 19.

The reduction gearing and clutch just described are inclosed in a casing 65 which is attached to the end of the dynamo motor casing. The shaft 19 is rotatably mounted in the end wall 66 of said casing, a ball bearing cage 67 being interposed to provide antifriction bearing between the parts.

On the shaft 19 adjacent to the end wall of the casing 65 is keyed a gear 68 which meshes with a gear 69 that operates the distributer and circuit breaker 70 for the high tension ignition from which the engine is fired. As the shaft 19 is positively rotated, it will be apparent that any slippin of the clutch members by means of which this shaft is connected to the dynamo motor shaft will have no effect on the timing .of the distributer and circuit breaker, as the said gear 68 always has the same definite timed relation with the movement of the pistons of the engine.

It will also be noted'that by virtue of the gearing connection shown, this timed relation, or in other words, the speed ratio between the distributer and interrupter mechanism on the one hand and the engine crankshaft on the other, remains fixed, whether the-armature shaft or the engine shaft be driving. 7

The operation of my improved starting device is apparent from the foregoing description. To start the engine, the foot pedal 18 is pressed which throws the switch 14 so as to connect the units of the storage batteries in series and start the dynamo motor as a motor, and also to energize the electromagnet 61, thus causing the pawls 60 to engage the ratchet gear 29. This throws in the reduction gearing connection between the dynamo motor shaft and the engine shaft and the dynamo motor starts the engine. As soon as the engine shaft works up to speed, it begins to and continues to drive the dynamo-motor shaft, the foot pedal 18 is released, and the switch 14 is caused by its spring to swing to 'its first position, cutting out the electro-magnet 61 and releasing the ratchet gear 29 of the reduction gear, connecting up the storage battery units in multiple as described. Should the foot treadle not be released as soon as the engine is started no harm will be done since pawls '60, though still held engaged with the ratchet gear 29 by the electro-magnet, will simply back ratchet thereon,

It will be noted that if the dynamo motor shaft be rotated without the pawls 60 being thrown into engagement with the ratchet gear 29, the movement of the gear 35 will be imparted idly to the ratchet gear 29 through the floating plate 31 and no rotative movement will be imparted to the shaft 19. The reduction gearconnection may thus be termed idle in its normal condition, since the operation of the pawls 60 is required in order to bring it operatively into the system. Manifestly any means may be employed for actuating the said pawls when starting the engine, but the magnetic means described for operating said pawls is preferred since it may be easily controlled by the same member, namely, the switch member, which starts the dynamo motor.

While in describing and illustrating my invention I have referred to certain details of construction and arrangement of the parts, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto except as pointed out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination, with a dynamo motor, of earing whereby the armature shaft of sai dynamo motor may drive or be driven by t e shaft of an internal combustion engine, said gearing being arranged to vary the speed ratio between the armature shaft and the engine shaft according as the armature shaft drives or is driven by the engine shaft, and current distributing and interru ting mechanism geared to the armature sha but arranged to operate at a fixed speed relation to the engine shaft,

2. In a paratus of the class described, the combination, with a dynamo motor, of gearing whereby the armature shaft of said d namo motor may drive or be driven by tile shaft of an internal combustion engine, said gearing being arranged to vary the speed ratio between the armature shaft and the engine shaft according as the armature shaft drives or is driven by the engine shaft,

and current distributing and interrupting mechanism mounted upon said dynamo motor and geared to the armature shaft thereof but arranged to operate at a fixed speed relation to the engine shaft.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination, with a dynamo motor having a suitable armature shaft, of a supplemental shaft in alinement therewith and connected thereto through speed reduction gearing, and current distributing and interruptingmechanism geared to said supplemental shaft, said supplemental shaft being adapted for driving connection to the shaft of an internal combustion engine, and the connection between said'supplemental and armature shafts being arranged for different speed ratios according as the armature shaft drives or is driven by the supplemental shaft.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination, with a dynamo motor, of gearing whereby the armature of said dynamo motor may drive or be driven by the shaft of an internal combustion engine, said gearing being arranged to vary the speed ratio between the armature shaft and the engine shaft according as the armature shaft drives or is driven by the engine shaft, means housing the foregoing parts into'a substantially unitary construction, and current distributing and interrupting mechanism rotatably mounted on such housing means and cared to said armature shaft but arrange to operate at a fixed speed relation to the engine shaft.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination, with a dynamo motor, of gearing whereby the armature shaft of said dynamo motor may drive or be driven by the shaft of an internal combustion engine, said gearing being arranged to vary the speed ratio between the armature shaft and the engine shaft according as the armature shaft drives or is driven by the engine shaft, a storage battery in circuit with said dynamo motor and adapted to be charged thereby or to supply current thereto. accordin to operating conditions, and current distributing and interrupting mechanism geared to the armature shaft but arranged to operate at a fixed speed relation to the engine shaft, said mechanism being arranged to take current from said circuit for the engine ignition.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination, with a dynamo motor having a suitable armature shaft, and a storage battery in circuit with said dynamo motor and adapted to be charged thereby or to supply current thereto according to operating conditions, of a supplemental shaft in alinement therewith and connected thereto through speed reduction gearing, and current distributing and interrupting mechanism arranged to take current from said circuit for the engine ignition, and geared to said supplemental shaft, said supplemental shaft being adapted for driving connection to the shaft of an internal combustion engine, and the connection between said supplemental and armature shafts being arranged for different speed ratios according as the armature shaft drives or is driven by the supplemental shaft.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination, with dynamoelectric means, of gearing whereby said dynamoelectric means may drive or be driven by the shaft of an internal combustion engine, said gearing being arranged to vary the speed ratio between said dynamoelectric means and said engine shaft gearing as the dynamoelectric means drives or is driven by the engine shaft, a stora e battery in circuit with said dynamoelectric means and adapted to be charged thereby, or to supply current thereto, according to operating conditions, and current distributing and interrupting mechanism geared to said dynamoelectric means but arranged to operate at a fixed s eed with relation to the engine shaft, said mechanism being arranged to take current from said circuit for the en 'ne i ition.

In testimony w ereo I hereunto aifix my signature.

JAMES K. DELANO. 

